“Aussie Cartel” Bikie Leader Mark Buddle Extradited to Australia

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Former Comanchero bikie President Mark Buddle was arrested after years as a fugitive in Turkey for allegedly trafficking more than 160 kilos of cocaine worth $27 million USD from Hong Kong to Melbourne via Sydney in May 2021.

The 37-year-old was extradited on a chartered flight from Darwin on Friday morning." AFP officers have escorted a man, 37, on a chartered flight from Darwin to Melbourne this morning to face two charges for allegedly importing cocaine worth about A$40 million AUD," a statement said.

Buddle's extradition to Melbourne was delayed initially amid "security concerns." He faced Melbourne Magistrates Court, charged with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug and one count of conspiring to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug. Both offenses carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Buddle was arrested at Darwin airport on Wednesday after being deported from Turkey a day earlier.  'He was escorted by Turkish authorities by charter flight to Darwin where he was taken into AFP custody and arrested,' Assistant Commissioner Ryan told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday. After boarding, Buddle was shuffled down the aisle and thrust into a seat while officers watched guard from neighboring rows.

Assistant Commissioner Nigel Ryan said Buddle, who was the subject of an Interpol red notice, said Buddle touched down in Australia after Turkey made an 'independent decision' to deport him. He was charged on Thursday over allegations he imported more than 160kg of cocaine into Melbourne in May last year.

Mark Buddle became Comanchero MC National President after the arrest of the gang's previous leader.

From Bikie Boss to Cartel Fugitive

Mark Buddle became leader of the infamous outlaw Comanchero Motorcycle Club in 2009 after the former leader, Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi, was jailed for a fatal brawl at Sydney Airport. Hawi was later shot dead outside a gym in Sydney in 2018.

Nine Australians, bikies, and middle-eastern gang members who organized themselves into a A$1.5 billion drug-running 'Aussie Cartel' were responsible for one-third of all drug importations into Australia, intelligence agencies allege. They are also allegedly demanding taxes from others importing drugs. Cocaine and meth prices are climbing because of a tax being imposed by the shadowy group known as 'The Commission' run by an exiled bikie, police claim.

The exiled leader of the Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle gang Mark Buddle was allegedly demanding a tax of up to A$50,000 for each kilogram of illicit drugs smuggled from overseas into Sydney. NSW Police said in the last few months cocaine has jumped up by A$50 a gram to A$300 - which they suspect could be because of the bikie's tax.

He left Australia for Dubai in 2016 with his glamorous long-time girlfriend Mel Ter Wisscha and their two children. The AFP alleges Buddle moved overseas to avoid the scrutiny of Australian law enforcement. Police have said Mr. Buddle is also a person of interest in the shooting murder of a Sydney security guard in 2010.

Buddle then flew between a range of countries including Greece, Turkey, and Iraq before settling in the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus where he received a residency permit on the grounds his 'high income' would bring wealth to the territory. He claims he paid bribes to officials in Northern Cyprus to remain there, but was still arrested in a dramatic raid. He was residing on the Mediterranean island on a tourist visa since July 7, 2021, and claims through his defense lawyer that local politicians were squeezing him for money. Buddle was arrested on July 9, 2022, Australian authorities had been working tirelessly behind the scenes to extradite Buddle from Turkey.

Buddle smiles while in custody.

Operation Gain

Assistant Commissioner Ryan said Buddle had been a target of Operation Gain, a transnational off-shore disruption task force, since March 2021. Australian investigators will allege Buddle was involved in a transnational criminal syndicate operating out of Hong Kong and Turkey, that saw 160 kilograms of cocaine imported to Melbourne but then seized by authorities.

'This is the first time the AFP has publically revealed the existence of this task force, which targets Australia’s biggest organized crime threats offshore, disrupts their criminal activities, and ultimately ensures these alleged criminals face prosecution,' he said.

'Operation Gain harnesses the AFP’s extensive international network, sophisticated capabilities, and Australian law enforcement partners, such as the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.' Assistant Commissioner Ryan said the AFP had strong global partnerships and recently hosted Turkish authorities in Canberra, where crucial intelligence was shared between agencies.

His extradition came months after five people were arrested in connection to the importation, which was concealed in a shipment of air filters. Those five included the alleged co-ordinator of the crime syndicate, a 42-year-old Sydney man, and four Victorians. Three Melbourne men were also remanded on allegations they played a role in the collection and distribution of the cocaine shipment.

The AFP and FBI developed an encrypted app they pushed to organized crime figures while monitoring their communications.

ANØM App Sting

The charges stem from Operation Ironside, which monitored communications shared using the ANOM app. The app was set up by authorities under the guise of offering organized crime figures a safe encrypted messaging service when in reality it was being monitored by the AFP and FBI.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Nigel Ryan said Operation Ironside had tracked encrypted communications showing cocaine would be shipped from Hong Kong to Melbourne and Sydney.

The ANØM app would be installed on mobile phones bought on the black market that was only able to send messages to other devices that had the organized crime app and stripped of other capabilities. As high-profile criminals vouched for the app’s integrity, the popularity of the rigged devices increased.

"This investigation has been going for a significant amount of time," Ryan said Buddle's "complex" arrest, Ryan said, would deal a serious blow to drug syndicates operating in Australia and offshore. More than 250 people have been charged in Australia under the operation. The Australian Federal Police say Buddle orchestrated the shipment using the app secretly monitored by their officers and the FBI in the US.

Sources 9News, BBC, Daily Mail, Daily Mail, Sydney Morning Herald, Borderland Beat